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Winter pasta: Pasta e fagioli

The pasta e fagioli I made while writing this blog post.

As I’m writing this, the weather is damp and chilly, and the mid-winter is a great time for pasta e fagioli, an Italian peasant dish that has as many versions as there are Italian kitchens, I think. It might be Italy’s best known meatless meal, although many recipes add meats like pancetta, diced ham, salt pork, or bacon.

Today I’m making a meatless version, but not truly vegetarian, since I’m using chicken broth. One thing I like about pasta e fagioli is the use of basics. I am rarely without onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, a can of chopped tomatoes (if I don’t have fresh ones to use), a can of beans, and some pasta.

Regarding the seasonings: Since it’s a wintertime dish, dried herbs are entirely appropriate–basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley. Where I live, I have parsley growing outdoors much of the winter too, so I’ll chop some fresh to add with the pasta. Some add some zip with red pepper flakes. I like ground black pepper, and am fairly generous with it.

Regarding the beans: Ideally I would use cannellini beans, however today a can of great northern beans was handy. Kidney or pinto beans will work. I haven’t tried it with garbanzos, but wouldn’t rule them out if that’s what I had available.

Regarding the pasta: Most recipes suggest ditalini, the tiny rings I have always thought of as macaroni salad pasta. But any smallish pasta will work. Because I’m usually cooking for two, I rarely use a full box of pasta. What I like to use in soup is the last little bit left over from a box–so today I’m throwing in a cup or so of whole grain rotini.

A pot of pasta e fagioli will make a great light supper with nothing more than garlic bread or cheesy focaccia. Top each bowl with parmesan. If you have big eaters to feed, you can pair the soup with a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and add a simple dessert.

Wherever you are, you can enjoy a little taste of Italy with an easy to make, yummy to eat, pot of pasta e fagioli!

15 thoughts on “Winter pasta: Pasta e fagioli”

These first days of 2017 have been frosty where I live, and this recipe for pasta e fagioli seems like the perfect supper tonight. Do you have a simple go-to Italian supper? Please share in the comments!

This brought me back to my childhood when pasta e fagioli was a weekday staple meal. I wasn’t much of a bean fan as a child – so it didn’t impress me much – but as I got older, I acquired an appreciation for them and of course this dish.
While in Calabria this October, I had pasta e fagioli and it was absolutely amazing.
Yours looks so good, I may need to make some on this bitterly cold day. Thank you for reminding me of this hearty and flavourful dish!!

I must say this was one of my least favorite meals growing up. We ate this a lot when the shoe factories started closing down and my parents were scrambling for work. They immigrated from San Sostene, catenzaro.

Your recipe sounds delicious though and maybe it’s time to give it a second chance.